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Home / Equine Research Bank / Equine Vet J / Tongue ties do not widen the upper airways in racehorses.
Equine veterinary journal2022; 55(4); 642-648; doi: 10.1111/evj.13867

Tongue ties do not widen the upper airways in racehorses.

Abstract: There is contradictory evidence on the potential benefits of tongue ties on upper airway function and their efficacy in inhibiting intermittent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) in racehorses. Objective: To test the hypothesis that tongue ties increase the pharyngeal diameter and decrease the occurrence of dynamic airway obstruction in racehorses. Methods: Prospective, crossover blinded clinical study. Methods: Data of 22 Thoroughbred and 8 Standardbred racehorses examined using overground endoscopy under full-intensity exercise on training racetracks with and without fixation of the tongue by use of tongue ties were analysed. Equivalent exercise intensity was ensured by measuring heart rate (bpm), speed (GPS) and venous lactate. Pharyngeal diameter was expressed as pharyngeal-epiglottis (PE) ratios and laryngeal abduction accordingly as laryngeal-median-ratios. Data were analysed using multivariable repeated-measurements ANOVA. Results: The PE ratio increased significantly from 1.11 ± 0.19 to 1.28 ± 0.30 in all horses between rest and full-intensity exercise (p < 0.01). Multi-variable analysis revealed that this effect decreased significantly by the application of tongue ties (1.15 ± 0.27, p < 0.01). Tongue ties did not influence maximum laryngeal width (p = 0.09) and area (p = 0.2) significantly. DDSP was found in 4 of 30 examinations with tongue tie and in 1 of 30 examinations without tongue tie. Conclusions: The study population was not randomly chosen and was heterogeneous. Few horses had a respiratory noise and the prevalence of upper respiratory tract disorders was too low for statistical comparison of the rate of DDSP with and without tongue ties. Conclusions: A positive effect of tongue ties on pharyngeal or laryngeal diameters was not found in this study. Therefore, the results of this study do not support the use of tongue ties to enhance upper airway function. Unassigned: Zu potenziellen Vorteilen von Zungenbändern auf die Funktion der oberen Atemwege und deren Wirksamkeit zur Unterbindung von „DDSP“ (Dorsal displacement of the soft palate) bei Rennpferden gibt es im Widerspruch stehend publizierte Evidenz. Unassigned: Überprüfung der Hypothese, dass Zungenbänder den Pharyngealdurchmesser vergrößern und das Auftreten von dynamischen Atemwegsobstruktionen bei Rennpferden verringert. Methods: Klinische, prospektive Crossover-Blindstudie. Methods: Analysiert wurden Daten von 22 Vollblutpferden und acht Standardbred Trabrennpferden, untersucht mithilfe Dynamischer Atemwegs-Endoskopie unter Vollbelastung auf Trainingsrennbahnen mit und ohne Fixation der Zunge durch ein Zungenband. Eine gleichwertige Belastungsintensität wurde mithilfe von Messungen der Herzfrequenz (bpm), Geschwindigkeit (GPS) und venöser Laktatwerte sichergestellt. Pharyngealdurchmesser wurden als Pharyngeal-Epiglottis (PE) Verhältnis und laryngeale Abduktion, folglich Laryngeal-Median-Verhältnis, dargestellt. Daten wurden mithilfe multivariabler ANOVA mit wiederholten Messungen analysiert. Unassigned: Das PE Verhältnis erhöhte sich signifikant von 1.11 ± 0.19 auf 1.28 ± 0.3 bei allen Pferden zwischen Ruhe und Vollbelastung (p <0.01). Mehrvariablen-Analysen ergaben, dass sich dieser Effekt durch Einsatz von Zungenbändern signifikant verringert (1.15 ± 0.27, p<0.01). Zungenbänder hatten keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf maximale laryngeale Weite (p = 0.09) und Fläche (p = 0.2). DDSP wurde bei 4/30 Untersuchungen mit Zungenband und 1/30 Untersuchungen ohne Zungenband beobachtet. HAUPTEINSCHRÄNKUNGEN: Die Studienpopulation wurde nicht zufällig ausgewählt und war heterogen. Wenige Pferde zeigten Stridor und die Prävalenz von oberen Atemwegserkrankungen war zu niedrig für den statistischen Vergleich der DDSP-Rate mit und ohne Zungenbänder. Unassigned: Ein positiver Effekt von Zungenbändern auf pharyngeale oder laryngeale Durchmesser wurde in dieser Studie nicht beobachtet. Folglich unterstützen die Ergebnisse dieser Studie den Einsatz von Zungenbändern zur Verbesserung der Funktion der oberen Atemwege nicht.
© 2022 The Authors. Equine Veterinary Journal published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of EVJ Ltd.
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Publication Date: 2022-09-14 PubMed ID: 36102425DOI: 10.1111/evj.13867Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

The research explores the hypothesis that the use of tongue ties in racehorses increases the diameter of the pharynx, which is the part of the throat behind the mouth and nasal cavity, and reduces instances of dynamic airway obstruction. After conducting a clinical study on 22 Thoroughbred and 8 Standardbred racehorses, the researchers found that tongue ties do not significantly impact the pharyngeal and laryngeal diameters or prevent dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP) in racehorses.

Objective/ Hypothesis

  • The primary objective of the study was to determine whether the use of tongue ties changes the pharyngeal diameter, thus reducing dynamic airway obstruction in racehorses.
  • The hypothesis suggests that tongue ties would increase the diameter of the pharynx, providing a broader airway for the horse, and subsequently reducing instances of dorsal displacement of the soft palate (DDSP).

Methodology

  • A prospective, crossover blinded clinical study was done on a not-randomly-chosen, heterogeneous group of 22 Thoroughbred and 8 Standardbred racehorses. These horses underwent overground endoscopy during peak exercise on training tracks, both with and without tongue ties.
  • The researchers ensured equal exercise intensity by measuring the heart rate, speed via GPS, and venous lactate of the horses.
  • The pharyngeal diameter was measured through the pharyngeal-epiglottis (PE) ratios, while laryngeal abduction was expressed via laryngeal-median-ratios.
  • A multivariable repeated-measurements ANOVA (analysis of variance) method was used to analyze the collected data.

Results

  • The PE ratio increased significantly from 1.11 ± 0.19 to 1.28 ± 0.30 for all horses between rest and maximum exercise intensity, an effect that decreased significantly with the use of tongue ties (1.15 ± 0.27).
  • The application of tongue ties had no significant influence on either the maximum laryngeal width or the laryngeal area.
  • DDSP was discovered in 4 out of 30 examinations with tongue ties and in only 1 out of 30 without tongue ties.

Limitations

  • The sample size of the study was not selected randomly and it was a heterogeneous group. Therefore, these results may not be generalizable to all racehorses.
  • Relatively few horses exhibited respiratory noise, and the prevalence of upper respiratory tract disorders was evidently low – too low for a statistical comparison of the rate of DDSP with and without tongue ties.

Conclusions

  • The findings do not support the theory that tongue ties expand the pharyngeal or laryngeal diameters in racehorses. As a consequence, the study does not support the use of tongue ties to improve upper airway function in racehorses.

Cite This Article

APA
Barton AK, Troppenz A, Klaus D, Lindenberg I, Merle R, Gehlen H. (2022). Tongue ties do not widen the upper airways in racehorses. Equine Vet J, 55(4), 642-648. https://doi.org/10.1111/evj.13867

Publication

Equine veterinary journal
ISSN: 2042-3306
NlmUniqueID: 0173320
Country: United States
Language: English
Volume: 55
Issue: 4
Pages: 642-648

Researcher Affiliations

Barton, Ann Kristin
  • Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Troppenz, Anne
  • Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Klaus, Dana
  • Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Lindenberg, Inga
  • Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Merle, Roswitha
  • Institute of Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Gehlen, Heidrun
  • Equine Clinic, Freie Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Horses
  • Animals
  • Ankyloglossia / veterinary
  • Prospective Studies
  • Physical Conditioning, Animal / physiology
  • Larynx
  • Trachea
  • Palate, Soft / surgery
  • Horse Diseases / surgery

Grant Funding

  • German Association of Equine Medicine

References

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